Experts have warned a tiny, marsh-dwelling bird could vanish from North Carolina if drastic action isn't taken.
What's happening?
According to WITN, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has said the eastern black rail could be lost within the next 35 years.
The species was once plentiful, but its numbers have declined sharply due to habitat loss, human encroachment, and extreme weather events.
The wildlife resources commission's management plan for its conservation notes that the black rail has disappeared entirely from some states and declined by up to 90% in others.
The eastern black rail is a small bird that weighs a little over an ounce when fully grown. Because of its small stature and preference for the thick vegetation of marshlands, it's typically heard more than seen. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service describes the eastern black rail as a "sparrow-sized, secretive marsh bird."
Why is the eastern black rail's survival important?
The black rail's plight is symptomatic of another huge ecological problem: the rapid loss of crucial wetlands across the United States.
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As the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported in 2024, more than half of the wetlands in the lower 48 states are now gone. These "biological supermarkets" — as the Environmental Protection Agency puts it — serve as a critical habitat for species like the eastern black rail and provide protection against flooding.
The black rail plays a crucial ecological role in the wetlands by regulating the populations of insects and small crustaceans it consumes. They're also a food source for several predators. Removing them from the food chain would greatly harm the health of the ecosystems they inhabit.
What's being done about the eastern black rail's decline?
The key to the species' survival is preventing further habitat loss and not disturbing the breeding cycle of the birds.
The North Carolina Wildlife Commission has asked farmers not to mow wet fields from April to September in order to maintain the thick grass favored by the birds.
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Definitely 👍 Per WITN, "They are also working with private landowners to create better habitat and using new recording technology to track where the birds still live."
Even if you aren't local to the birds' habitats, you can still help. If humans prioritize acting locally and raising awareness of important climate issues, threatened species like the eastern black rail might just make it in the long term.
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